Modernizing the Executive Search Shortlist

Risk, Reputation, and Due Diligence in 2026

AESC Member Webinar

Executive search is operating in a new environment. The definition of leadership risk has evolved, stakeholder scrutiny has intensified, and governance expectations continue to rise.

Managing leadership risk is no longer just ensuring capability alignment or reducing succession exposure. The digital revolution has brought about a new type of risk for the modern executive: one that lives on social media, in the press, and in online litigation archives. Firms are being asked to defend shortlisted recommendations with confidence, and demonstrate diligence practices that hold up under modern scrutiny.

Join AESC and Fama for a timely conversation on how executive search firms are modernizing due diligence and protecting reputation in an increasingly transparent world.

All attendees will receive early access to the new industry white paper:

The 2026 State of the Shortlist

Why This Conversation Matters Now

• As digital footprints expand and public scrutiny accelerates, the shortlist has become one of the most visible reflections of a firm’s expertise and credibility.
• In a world filled with dashboards and apps, facts and truth about your shortlisted executive’s history continue to be key to how clients make informed decisions.
• When issues surface after placement, scrutiny rarely stays confined to the individual. It raises questions about process, judgment, and diligence.

What We’ll Explore

• The shifting definition of leadership risk: How does an executive’s past inform their future? 
• Where traditional due diligence falls short: Why legacy processes may miss modern risk indicators
• When issues surface post-placement: How firms protect client trust and their own reputation
• Protecting reputation at scale: Building consistency and defensibility into diligence practices
• The signals that matter most today: What boards, stakeholders, and clients increasingly expect firms to surface

Speakers

Ben Mones

Ben Mones is the founder and CEO of Fama, a modern candidate screening solution that makes hiring great people easy. Fama leverages online signals to identify candidate fit, helping organizations answer the big questions like: how might a candidate act around coworkers or customers when they join? He founded Fama in 2015 after missing a critical risk on a new hire that was plainly apparent online.

Lynne Murphy-Rivera

Lynne Murphy-Rivera is the Managing Director of the Americas for the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), where she leads initiatives that drive growth, visibility, and impact across the organization’s global Membership. A seasoned business executive with more than 20 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors, Lynne has a proven record of accelerating business growth and building strategic partnerships across Fortune 500 companies, technology firms, and the legal industry.